The value of AI is actually derived from that of all the human work it was trained on. Intrinsically it has no intelligence.

In some sense, the value of technology companies is due in part to the value of scholars efforts throughout the ages.

I think there is a real possibility that AI will actually slow down and regress technological advancement after an initial period of heightened growth.

Imagine if society decided that after Shakespeare, instead of writing new literature, we’d just reheat past literature, much like big name Hollywood producers. “Zeus and Cleopatra”, “The Merchant of Venus”, “Othello and Oedipus”…

By modern thinking, perhaps this would have been better. Vast expenditures in both human and monetary capital could have been allocated for better uses.

Imagine if the Church could have had an AI do the Sistene Chapel at a fraction of the price.

Rembrandt could have focused on milling and perhaps vertically expanded into a chain of bakeries and farms.

Newton could have focused on farming as his mother wanted - let the AI work on theories of gravitation…